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3/15/2010 Click It!I am really clicked off, seriously. The seat belt: it is a simple device in all cars that just takes second to put on and yet can save so many lives. (OK, I do realize that some of the old classic cars may not have seat belts.) I will be at a stop light and look into the cars around me. It is so sad to see adults not wearing their seat belts. But what really clicks me off is when children are in the car and are not buckled in! Or the one that really pops my cork, people holding the child on their lap. That child has now turned into their human airbag. It did not work well for Britney Spears holding her baby, it will not for others. Adding to my “clicked offness,” I have been reading the newspaper about the car crashes that have been happening in our community. Again, people not wearing their seat belts and suffering injuries or even death secondary to the crash. The state laws passed for seat belt use have reduced injuries and death as well as increased the usage of seat belts. But come on, three seconds to click it does not seem like too much to ask!
In the emergency and trauma worlds, healthcare professionals avoid using the word "accident." We use words like "crash" and "collision." It is a motor vehicle crash. "Accident" by definition is something that is unavoidable and unpredictable with no control over the event. A car “accident” implies that the resulting injuries are unavoidable. Many of the “accidents” are not only preventable but also predictable.
The majority of seat belts in vehicles use the 3-point system. The lap belt should fit snugly across the top of the thighs. Never, ever should the belt be worn across the abdomen. If the belt is riding up or not tight enough, it can cause spinal and abdominal injuries. When the lap belt is being worn by a child, the child should be able to sit straight in the seat with their knees bending naturally over the edge of the seat. If the child is too short and unable to do so, the belt may ride up onto the abdomen causing significant injuries. The shoulder belt should be worn across the middle of the chest and shoulder. The belt should not be resting on the throat. The adult can either adjust the strap or try tilting the seat back for a better fit. The strap resting on the neck of a child indicates that the child is too short and should be placed in a booster seat. Shoulder straps should never, ever be placed under the arm or behind the back.
Drivers’ position is also very important. Even if there is an airbag present, the driver should be roughly 10 inches from the steering wheel. Any closer, the driver can still strike his or herr head on the wheel even with a seat belt on.
Seat belts are able to withstand about 6,000 pounds of force in a crash. If there were a major crash, seat belts, like airbags need to be replaced. They are all considered a one-time use. If there is a question on whether the seat belts need to be replaced, a qualified auto technician can answer that.
Children watch and mimic adults. Statistically, if a parent is buckled up, about 98 percent of children are also buckled according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. It takes only a moment to buckle in, but a lifetime to forget the pain and injuries from a crash. Life is too short, remember to click it. Posted 4:43 PM
I am really clicked off, seriously. The seat belt: it is a simple device in all cars that just takes second to put on and yet can save so many lives. (OK, I do realize that some of the old classic cars may not have seat belts.) I will be at a stop light and look into the cars around me. It is so sad to see adults not wearing their seat belts. But what really clicks me off is when children are in the car and are not buckled in! Or the one that really pops my cork, people holding the child on their lap. That child has now turned into their human airbag. It did not work well for Britney Spears holding her baby, it will not for others. Adding to my “clicked offness,” I have been reading the newspaper about the car crashes that have been happening in our community. Again, people not wearing their seat belts and suffering injuries or even death secondary to the crash. The state laws passed for seat belt use have reduced injuries and death as well as increased the usage of seat belts. But come on, three seconds to click it does not seem like too much to ask!
In the emergency and trauma worlds, healthcare professionals avoid using the word "accident." We use words like "crash" and "collision." It is a motor vehicle crash. "Accident" by definition is something that is unavoidable and unpredictable with no control over the event. A car “accident” implies that the resulting injuries are unavoidable. Many of the “accidents” are not only preventable but also predictable.
The majority of seat belts in vehicles use the 3-point system. The lap belt should fit snugly across the top of the thighs. Never, ever should the belt be worn across the abdomen. If the belt is riding up or not tight enough, it can cause spinal and abdominal injuries. When the lap belt is being worn by a child, the child should be able to sit straight in the seat with their knees bending naturally over the edge of the seat. If the child is too short and unable to do so, the belt may ride up onto the abdomen causing significant injuries. The shoulder belt should be worn across the middle of the chest and shoulder. The belt should not be resting on the throat. The adult can either adjust the strap or try tilting the seat back for a better fit. The strap resting on the neck of a child indicates that the child is too short and should be placed in a booster seat. Shoulder straps should never, ever be placed under the arm or behind the back.
Drivers’ position is also very important. Even if there is an airbag present, the driver should be roughly 10 inches from the steering wheel. Any closer, the driver can still strike his or herr head on the wheel even with a seat belt on.
Seat belts are able to withstand about 6,000 pounds of force in a crash. If there were a major crash, seat belts, like airbags need to be replaced. They are all considered a one-time use. If there is a question on whether the seat belts need to be replaced, a qualified auto technician can answer that.
Children watch and mimic adults. Statistically, if a parent is buckled up, about 98 percent of children are also buckled according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. It takes only a moment to buckle in, but a lifetime to forget the pain and injuries from a crash. Life is too short, remember to click it.
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